MEDICAL WASTE MANAGEMENT

GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF WASTE MANAGEMENT

 A clear facility policy for waste management.

 Roles and responsibilities of the different team
members responsible for waste management should be
clarified.
 All used sharps must be discarded without re-sheathing
in a puncture-resistant container that is readily
accessible.
 All clinical waste, e.g.waste contaminated with blood
and/or bloody fluids, should be discarded into a colored
bag (e.g. red or yellow).
 Segregation of waste should take place at its source of
origin.
THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF WASTE

 Non-medical waste (or non-hazardous waste)

similar in composition to household trash: 80% of
the total waste from health care activities e.g.
Kitchen waste, paper, boxes, packaging
materials.
 Medical waste (component of hazardous waste)
MEDICAL WASTE (COMPONENT OF HAZARDOUS
WASTE)

 Infectious waste
 Anatomic wastes
 Sharps waste
 Chemical waste
 Pharmaceutical waste
 Genotoxic waste
 Radioactive materials
 Heavy metals
 All waste items that are
contaminated with body fluids.
e.g.Blood and blood products, used
catheters and gloves, cultures ,
wastes from isolation units,
wound dressings

INFECTIOUS WASTE
ANATOMIC WASTES

 e.g.recognizable body parts and tissues (e.g.,

placenta), extracted tumors, waste from
microbiology labs, and animal carcasses.
Infectious and anatomic wastes make up the
majority of hazardous waste and account for up
to 20% of the total health care wastes
SHARPS WASTE

 used syringes, needles, disposable scalpels

and blades, etc.
 1% of the total waste from health-care
activities.
CHEMICAL WASTE

 Waste containing chemical substances e.g.,

laboratory chemicals, empty bottles of lab or
pharmacy chemicals, disinfectants that have
expired or are no longer needed; and cleaning
agents
PHARMACEUTICAL WASTE

 Waste containing pharmaceutical substances.

e.g.expired, unused, and contaminated
pharmaceuticals, e.g., expired drugs, vaccines
and sera.
Chemical and pharmaceutical waste account for
about 3% of waste from health-care activities.
GENOTOXIC WASTE

 Highly hazardous, teratogenic, or carcinogenic

waste containing substances with genotoxic
properties.
e.g.cytotoxic and neoplastic drugs (used in cancer
treatment) .
HEAVY METALS

e.g.Batteries, broken mercury thermometers,

manometers.
SORTING, HANDLING, INTERIM STORAGE, AND
DISPOSAL OF MEDICAL WASTE
SORTING
 At the point at which it is generated
 Colored plastic bags should be used to help distinguish
between general- and medical-waste containers

Handling
 Medical waste should be handled as little as possible
before disposal.
BAG FILLING

 Should be discarded when three quarters full

and at least once daily or after each shift.
 Never put hands into a container that holds
medical waste
INTERIM STORAGE

 Waste should be transported at the end of every

shift.
 Waste should be stored in an area of controlled
access , minimally trafficked
 Interim storage time should not exceed two days.

 Waste should be stored in containers with lids to

minimize the potential for insect, rodent, or other
animal infestation, and to minimize the smell.
FINAL DISPOSAL OF SOLID MEDICAL AND
GENERAL WASTE

1. Non-burn techniques

2. Burn technique
1-NON-BURN TECHNIQUE
 Community waste collecting system.

 Burying solid medical waste:

 Burial should be at least 50 meters from the nearest water

source,

 Every time solid medical waste is added to the pit, cover it

with 10-30 cm of dirt.
 When the level of waste reaches to within 30-50 cm of
ground level, fill the pit with dirt, seal it with concrete, and
dig a new pit.
BURIAL PIT
2. BURN TECHNIQUE

 Incineration of solid medical waste

high temperature (1300 ˚C) destroys

microorganisms and reduces the amount of
waste.